Is This Goodbye?
by Star-Stallion
Summary: Seventh in 'The Nilmé Series'. Aragorn makes his decision to leave Rivendell after the problems between him and Elrond over Arwen, but with his emotions running high, his departure is marred as he and Legolas part on bad terms...


**Hello again to you all:-) This is the 6th story in the Nilmé Series. You're more than welcome to begin here if you're a new reader, but I would recommend reading the previous stories too. They are, in order:**

**.: Hope and Greenleaf :.**

**.: An Inseparable Duo :.**

**.: Fight**** Your Fears :.**

** Woes of the World :.**

**.: Red**** Sun Rising :.**

**.: Through**** Hell and High Water :.**

**This is a sort of get-a-box-of-tissues kinda fic... yup, again:-D This is just a short one-shot fic, about the period of time when Aragorn's heritage is revealed to him and, after meeting Arwen, has to leave. Just so you know, he is now 20, so this is a 4 year jump since the last fic. –sigh- I didn't want to have to break up my Duo, but it happens... :'( Enjoy...**

Take a look in my face, for the last time.  
I never knew you., you never knew me.  
Say hello, goodbye.

Say hello and wave goodbye...

- _David Gray – Say Hello, Wave Goodbye_

He couldn't believe it. All his life had been a lie. One huge, long, living lie. It had been bad enough knowing that he wasn't who he thought, that somehow he had been living a different life that didn't belong to him. That hurt enough, but to know now that because he was in love, because of something that should've been so wonderful and special, he was being forced to _leave his home_... that was tearing him in two.

He remembered how perfect it had felt... how perfect she'd been... how he had called her Tinúviel the moment he'd seen her... her radiant smile, her grace and beauty... and Elrond's reaction when he had told the Elven Lord about his feelings for her. Arwen - a name that would stay in his heart for the rest of his mortal life, and beyond. She was fit for no man save the King of Gondor. He could become that, but compared to her, titles and power were nothing. Besides, he didn't want that kind of power and responsibility anyway.

Estel stuffed a worn brown shirt into his pack. Blinking away some hot tears, he shoved some more of his belongings in, before flinging the leather bag towards the door in a fit of rage. As he watched it fall to the ground with a thud, he lost control, slowly sliding down the wall until he sat, the salty tears now coursing freely down his cheeks before falling onto the floor...

----

Legolas sat in the grounds of Rivendell, frowning. Estel had poured his heart out to him just minutes before. He shook his head, scolding himself slightly inside his head; "No, he is Aragorn now."

The rain fell from the sky in despair, dripping in great fat drops that ran down his forehead. Strange, how the weather seemed to reflect his mood.

----

It was a few minutes later as Estel stormed out of the main corridors and down the flight of steps leading towards the stables when he heard a voice calling him.

"Estel!"

The young man shut his eyes and sighed, exasperated. He had hoped to leave without anyone noticing. That way, he wouldn't cause them trouble when he went. Of course he had forgotten about Legolas. The twins had left him in peace, knowing he wanted his own space, and Lord Elrond had stayed inside the room where he had broken the news to his foster son.

He should have remembered that he had blurted everything out to his friend in the gardens, but he was upset and had merely forgotten.

The Elf caught up with him, chest heaving after running so hard. "Please Estel, just wait; I want to talk to you about this-"

"No Legolas," said Estel simply. "No... I have to leave."

He climbed up into the saddle, and Legolas suddenly caught a fleeting glimpse of the Ranger that Estel, or Aragorn as he was known from here onwards, would become.

"Estel! _Estel_!"

Aragorn really did not want to leave, but the life he had known had been thrown wildly out of balance. He couldn't go back to the way he was, not now.

Legolas watched silently as Aragorn's horse slowly trotted away, carrying away on his back the best friend he'd ever known. He couldn't call out, or say a word, his throat constricting into a lump.

"Please turn around Estel..." he thought in despair. If this was to be the last time he saw Aragorn, he wanted to look into those silver eyes one more time. "_Please _turn round..."

----

Aragorn could not read the Elf's mind. He was wrapped in his own thoughts; he would just leave his fake life behind. Just ride away and never look back. That's all he had to do.

But then what sort of a friend would he be? Not even looking back at Legolas a final time; someone who'd been so much with him, often even _because_ if him... but his heart warned him that if he looked around, it would break and he would return, never being able to leave. He would continue his false life... but was that such a crime?

But if he looked back... would he see his best friend and remember the old life he had? Would he still be as determined to let it go, or would he crack up and turn around, back to the ones he knew and loved; Elrond, the twins, Legolas... Arwen.

His past.

A resolute frown creased his face. Aragorn raised his arm, using his sleeve to fiercely wipe away fresh tears that had sprung up in his eyes when he had not noticed. He nudged his heels into his steed, spurring him on faster.

----

Legolas saw the mare pick up speed, and hung his head in despair. It had finally dawned upon him, the bitter, incomprehensible truth. Estel wouldn't be coming back. That was a hope beyond hope...

Suddenly he found himself remembering something from many years ago; something his father had told him after Estel had come to Mirkwood for the very first time:

"_I'm just trying to tell you that maybe... just **maybe** you shouldn't get attached to humans, or any type of mortal. You'll only get hurt in the end..._"

A thought, strange and dark and certainly unusual for him of all people to be thinking, came into his head. Perhaps his father had been right all along. He should never have gotten attached to Estel. He was suffering the consequences now.

Sighing, Legolas turned away from the gradually shrinking figure mounted on the horse. Estel had gone; disappeared in those few seconds when all his life had been revealed as false. This was _Aragorn_. Estel would have looked back, waved goodbye. And although Legolas felt guilty for many long years afterwards and wished that he had trusted his old friend as he once did, at that moment, he couldn't.

'Humans...' he thought, the word tumbling in his mind bitterly. His sadness quickly turned into anger; anger directed towards someone he'd once cared about. 'Who needs them!'

Slowly and silently, he returned to Rivendell, kicking any stone unfortunate enough to get in his way hard, putting all his anger and grief into every launched foot.

----

Aragorn would not have turned around, trying to be the hard Ranger he was expected to be by everyone else, but somehow, he couldn't suppress Estel inside of him, and the young boy surfaced again for a brief moment.

The young man turned his head on the horse, intending to wave goodbye to his friend... but found his friend walking sadly away from him. Aragorn couldn't believe it. In one day, one short day, everyone had given up on him; Elrond, who he had loved as a father, the Elf who had suddenly told him to leave... the twins, who he'd respected and admired and loved like his own brothers, gone and left him...

And now his best friend had given up on him too. The despair ate away at his heart, gnawing and biting, burning... He snapped his head around angrily and galloped off towards the North, where Tiliath was. Four years ago, the man had told him to come to him if he ever wanted to become a Ranger. So, he was off; off to meet Tiliath, and to meet the Rangers who would be waiting for him in Eriador... to meet the new him; Aragorn, son of Arathorn, the young man without a friend in the world...

Anywhere.

**Ah, my poor little guys... oh well, this gives me a fun advantage in which I get to write some fics solely about one or the other one their own! Expect angst, drama, and action on the way! Here's the preview to the next story, as always...** **just so you know, this one is Legolas-centric, but I promise that the one after focuses solely on everyone's favourite Ranger! So, here's an introduction to the seventh (7 already!) story in the series...**

**What Spirit Governs**

_An attempt to poison Thranduil goes wrong when Legolas gets in the way. Hallataulë sets out on a mission to find the plant that will save his little brother's life, but danger lurks around every corner..._

Hallataulë caught the younger Elf as he slumped forwards. He panicked as he saw Legolas' wide eyes, full of a wild desperate fear. He was shaking awfully, uncontrollable tremors running through his body.

"ADA!" shouted Hallataulë. He held his younger brother close to him, and in doing so he felt Legolas' heart hammering in his chest.

Legolas couldn't tell what was really going on. Everything around him was spinning too fast for him to focus; the colours were all wrong. Everything was wrong; even him. There was something terribly wrong with him and what frightened him the most was that he had no idea what.

He heard someone screaming. He could feel someone holding him tightly, a distant link back to a normal place and time. He could see shapes and figures before his eyes; he just couldn't tell if they were real or simply figments of his mind which was currently trying to cope with the sudden fever that was setting into his shocked body.

Hallataulë had no idea how to clam Legolas down; the younger Elf's breath was gasping and shallow; he seemed completely breathless. The elder Prince tried to hold Legolas still as he started to thrash wildly in his grasp.

"ADA!" he screamed again. He cared not if he woke the entire kingdom with his hollering – Legolas needed help _right now_...

**And that's where I'll leave THAT... –grins evilly- Please R&R!**


End file.
